


Hidden

by Rose_Bride



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Romance, F/M, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, One Shot, ZarcRay Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 10:30:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18150689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Bride/pseuds/Rose_Bride
Summary: When someone dissapears without a trace, it is said that they were spirited away...(This is for the prompt "Myth" for the Zarcray Week 2019.)





	Hidden

_“Morning.” Ray said to him, as she always did, despite her dad’s warnings._

_But this time he didn’t answer back, didn’t even lift his eyes to her, even when she stopped to make sure there was confusion on who she was greeting._

_“Hey! Don’t you want a rice cookie?” That’s usually their routine, she said hi to him, he sometimes returned it, sometimes just waved, others just smiled, and Ray would gift him with one of the cookies her father made for breakfast._

_When that didn’t work, she felt her cheeks poof and she stomped her feet on the ground to make him snap._

_The boy jumped a little from his seat on the huge roots of the tree, and his eyes, looking impossibly huge and shiny seemed to stare beyond her, to some unspecified point in the sky._

_No sign of recognition in his eyes._

_A chill on her spine had replaced her anger and she simply left him there, leaving the rice cookie at his feet._

_._

_._

_._

_Usually if someone is suspected of being spirited away, people organized walks to the forests, with talismans, bells and prayers for the person to come back._

_Sometimes lead by a priestess._

_This time there was no such effort, the grownups claimed that since the child was an orphan and the festival was approaching there was no time to loose._

_But Ray was no fool, under those excuses she heard mutters, sneers, thankful prayers for someone finally taking the demon child away from their village._

_._

_._

_._

“Dad! I’ll go fetch water!”

“Come back before it gets dark!”

Ray just hummed in response and went on her way, the river was not very far away so she was sure she would make it before night fell; before leaving the outskirts of the town she made sure to leave offerings.

 _‘Ray, you’re a good girl, no spirit would ever bid you ill will.’_ That’s what people usually told her, but…

One could never be too sure.

As she kept walking the landscape seemed to become greener and colorful, which was sort of expected since it was summer, but Ray was not exactly sure when was it that any of the villagers had any time to plant flowers down this path, much less take care of them.

The river was as usual, running its course down south from the mountain, soon it would be rain season and it would become bigger and murkier due to landslides, but right now the water was clear and pristine, perfect for cooking dinner.

Ray kneeled, and was in the middle of carrying the bucket full when she heard rustling behind her and she froze trying to hear if it was some animal scurrying around or something worse…

When she felt a hand on her shoulder her hands moved on her own throwing the water to her assailant-to-be, and hopefully hit them in the head while she made her escape.

But it was all ruined when the stranger didn’t flinch from the water, so when Ray tried to push past him, she was met with a solid wall than made her fall back.

Of course the bucket had instead fell on top of her head.

A laughter reached her ears and when she looked up she saw a young man, one hand covering his mouth, and the other his stomach trying not to double over.

She almost yelled at him, about what was so funny, when she noticed:

His golden eyes, and oddly colored hair, his skin seemed to shine golden, even as the sun set, his hands had sharp claws, and he was barefoot.

.

.

.

Ray had been acting weird for the last couple of days.

Every day she made excuses to go to the forest, whether it was for water, for herbs or just for a walk, sit was always at the same time, when the sky turned a combination of oranges, reds and purples.

She had always been an early riser, and now she had taken to sleep in.

Or so he assumed since Leo had lost count of how many times he had caught her spacing out, her eyes glazed over in a daze.

She ate so little these days, and when she did, he could see she struggled to keep it down, and there were times when he felt that the house they both shared was being watched from afar.

One night, he caught her outside of bed staring at the moon, holding her belly tight…

Tomorrow, he would wait until tomorrow and then he would take Ray to the physician.

.

.

.

When the townspeople all joined efforts looking for Ray, the only thing the search turned up was her sandals; neatly placed at the bank of the river.

Today was the 7th day, and Leo didn’t need to look at the face of the priestess to know what she would say, to know that she now considered Ray to be lost forever.

.

.

.

“Dad, who is Ray?” His boy asked, having turned five this week, it was only appropriate he learned about her.

“She is your sister, Reiji.” Leo went to tell at large, the story of his precious daughter, maybe Reiji would never meet her in person, but he will make sure that he will _know_ her thoroughly.

 Everything, except for one tiny detail.

Reiji was still too young, but his eyes already shone with the same wit and curiosity that Ray had had once, maybe when he was older and outside of danger, he would explain better.

The forest looked more and more appealing as the years went by.

He missed Ray so much.

.

.

.

“Morning.” He greeted to the young woman in the temple.

Reiji could tell immediately that she wasn’t from around the village, as he was sure he’d never met her, but she didn’t look lost either.

When she turned around, he lost his breath.

He should say something, he _ought_ to say something, but the words were stuck inside his chest as the beautiful woman, with hair flowing impossibly long in the wind and dressed in cloth that appeared to be made of the moon, the stars and the ocean all together, smiled at him.

“Have you ever heard of an orphan child in this village who was spirited away fifteen years ago?” She asked, and her voice sounded like music in his ears, he could simply nod. “No search was made, no funeral rites and no one to mourn for him…”

Reiji could feel the sadness dripping from her voice.

“…because he was not taken by the gods, he was drowned in the near river by a group of villagers who thought he was an ill omen.” She paused for a minute, as if considering how much she could tell him. “All because he could see it, the Other World, and because he could talk with its inhabitants, of course they would welcome him with open arms.”

“…What about my sister?” Reiji was surprised he had been able to find his voice, but he remembered now, he remembered vague mentions of a demon child, of certain rumors that maliciously said his sister had been taken by an evil spirit in revenge.

But he was more surprised when the woman’s eyes widened and she took a step closer to him, tears where now falling down her cheeks.

All of the sudden, she didn’t look so divine or otherworldly anymore, she looked completely and utterly human.

Her eyes, he recognized those eyes.

Reiji went to grab her, wanting to look at her closer, but his hands grasped at thin air.

.

.

.

“Did he make you cry?” He asked, when she reappeared at the bank of the river; she simply shook her head and walked to him, taking his hand in hers.

His silvery hair, contrasting heavily against his dark clothes lined with gold, moved with the wind, and she felt his lips kissing away her tears one by one.

 “…I just wish I could have met him…” She said. “That would be my only regret.” She said, embracing his form

The hold of his hand tightened just enough to make know the idea of her regretting being with him pained him.

Would she want to leave him?

“Never.” She whispered against his lips before closing the distance between them, around them the fireflies danced and the wind picked up.

When she put space between them she watched him shift.

His sea serpent form was just as beautiful as he was in human form, with silvery scales that reflected the moonlight, his fangs grew bigger, and his hand became a long paw with three fingers and even longer claws.

But his golden eyes remained.

The same golden eyes that had bewitched her under that tree, when they were both children.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Here is the first prompt for the zarcray week of this year, this was inspired by the concept of spirited away or kamikakushi from japanese folklore, and added a few elements supposed actual accounts of this phenomenon actually happenning.
> 
> The lack of abundant dialogue is on purpose, I wanted to make this a bit more of "account of events" thing.... I don't know how to explain it, but yeah.


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